This invention relates to hand stamps used to mark documents and other objects with a distinctive image. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved hand stamp having a use counting capability and use limited to only users authorized via a smart phone.
Hand stamps have long been used to mark documents and other objects (such as cartons) with a distinctive image serving to certify the identity or content of the document or object. A typical hand stamp comprises a combination of a protective inner shell and an outer shell assembled for mutual translatory motion along a common longitudinal axis. A centrally located support shank is connected at one end to the outer shell for motion therewith and a stamp platen bearing the stamp image is positioned on the other end of the shank. An inking pad is pivotally connected to a mounting portion of the outer shell so that the inking pad contacts the stamp platen when the hand stamp is in a dormant position with the stamp platen retracted into the protective inner shell and the inking pad pivots away from the stamp platen when the outer shell in manipulated along the common longitudinal axis and the stamp platen is extended beyond the limit of the protective inner shell. A biasing mechanism ,maintains the stamp platen in the retracted position when no manipulative force is applied to the outer shell. Examples of known hand stamps of this type are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,467 issued Mar. 17, 1998 for “Hand Stamp”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,892,638 issued May 17, 2005 for “Hand Stamp And Locking Storage Cap”, and U.S. Patent Application Publication number US 2014/0230671 A1 published Aug. 21, 2014 for “Self-Inking Stamp”, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
As noted above, many known hand stamps are used to certify the identity or content of a document or an object. For example, in China and Japan a hand stamp bearing a unique image issued to an individual is required to open a bank account or enable other bank transactions. Similarly, a hand stamp bearing a unique image issued to a corporation or other business entity is required to conduct legally binding business transactions. If a hand stamp is borrowed or stolen, there is nothing to prevent an unauthorized possessor of the hand stamp from conducting fraudulent transactions. Known hand stamps have no provision for protection against such unauthorized use.
In many business organizations it is customary for an individual having the authority to legally bind the business entity to a financial or other business commitment by virtue of personal possession of the company hand stamp to delegate this authority to another individual employee for limited purposes by temporarily transferring possession of the company hand stamp to that other individual with instructions to use it for only such limited purposes. For example, the authorized individual may instruct the other individual to use the company hand stamp to certify a limited number of company checks for payment. Unless the authorized individual closely monitors the other individual's use of the company hand stamp, there is no control on the use of the company hand stamp by that other individual, who is free to certify more company checks for payment than the authorized limited number. Known hand stamps have no provision for protection against such abuse of delegated authority.